Turkish-style fish stew

A particular wine for an original dish: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Grancasale 2017 CasalFarneto.

Ingredients for 4-6 people:

800g of assorted fish certified MSC* (Marine Stewardship Council), raw or cooked whole shrimp and scallops and fresh cod fillets; 1 roughly chopped onion; 2 roughly chopped carrots; 2 peeled tomatoes; 4 tablespoons of finely chopped, flat-leaf parsley, including the stems; 1 thinly sliced lemon; 2 laurel leaves; 100ml high-quality extra-virgin olive oil; sea salt and pepper.

For the garnish: finely chopped parsley, lemon wedges and crispy bread.

Directions:

Put the onion, carrots, tomatoes and parsley in a pan and place the lemon slices on top. Add the laurel leaves and sufficient cold water to cover everything.

Bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Place the fish fillets on top of the ingredients, leaving the fillets whole, and add the shrimp and scallops if they are raw, if cooked add later. Season with a generous amount of sea salt and pepper.

Trickle in the EVOO – the level of liquid should only cover the fillets (press them delicately into the liquid if necessary). Add a little more water if the level is too low.

Bring the pan back to a boil then lower the heat and cover, cook slowly for around 10 minutes or until the fish is tender.

Should the seafood be pre-cooked, add it to the pan for the last two minutes to ensure it is warm.

Serve the fish with some of the vegetables and the juice from the pan.

Garnish with some of the finely chopped parsley, lemon wedges (to be squeezed if desired) and slices of crispy bread to absorb the juices.

* MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) is a non-profit, international organization dedicated to the practice of sustainable fishing to ensure the availability of fish products in the future.

Wine to pair:

(edited by Stefania Vinciguerra)

Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Classico Grancasale Riserva 2017 Casalfarneto

Straw yellow with golden shades. To the nose scents of exotic fruit, hazelnuts, walnut husk, citrus notes, floral and delicate spices. Fresh, flavorful and clean mouth, where the citrus nuances return. Good long and persistent finish, slightly almond.

Production area: the vineyards are between 270-350 meters in the municipality of Serra de' Conti (AN), on a hill on the right bank of the Misa river, which marks the northern boundary of the Denomination, 15 km away from the Apennines mountains and 30 km from the Adriatic Sea. The river valley is open towards the sea allowing constant mountain/sea ventilation day and night,. 

Grape variety: 100% Verdicchio, grown on a soil that has medium dense, tendentiously loose texture on the surface, while two meters below ground we find a deep layer of clay. The vineyard has Northeast exposure. 

Harvest: in 2017, the harvest started at the end of September, two weeks earlier than usual, as the grapes used for this wine are usually picked slightly late than its normal harvest time with a minimum of over-ripeness. The grapes are collected in small boxes and are immediately cooled down with the “cold soak technique” (SO2), followed by soft pressing (Nitrogen press). 

Vinification: after pressing in the nitrogen press, the must is immediately brought to 0-4° C and left in contact with its skins for about 12 hours. Then the skins are removed, the temperature is raised between 16-18° C to start fermentation, which lasts about 18 days. When the fermentation is over, a small part of the wine is transferred into 25 Hl Slavonian oak barrels where it matures for 6 months, while the remaining part is aged in steel. After this refinement period, the two masses are blended in steel for a few months and then the wine is bottled for a further 12 months of bottle refinement.

Alcohol content: 13%.

Suggested food pairings: all fish dishes, highly elaborated first courses with white sauces and cheese, white meats, mature cheeses and dishes based on mushrooms and truffles. 

The winery: CasalFarneto is a family owned independent wine producer with 35 hectares of vineyards. It combines technology, tradition and sustainability. Under the shade of "Farneto Oaks" from which it takes its name, the farmhouse boasts the cultivation of white and red grapes with particular focus on Verdicchio, producing from this variety 10 different wines (charmat, champenois, steel, with cryomaceration, reserve, botrytis, passito...).

THIS RECIPE IS OFFERED BY CASALFARNETO

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